Fremd set for postseason run
By winning for the 12th time in 13 matches, things appear to be setting up nicely for Fremd’s girls volleyball team.
And the Vikings’ setter, junior Marilyn Lortz, has been right in the middle of her team’s late-season rally.
Lortz handed out a match-high 22 assists in Tuesday’s 25-15, 25-20 victory over visiting Buffalo Grove in a battle of second-place teams from the Mid-Suburban West and East divisions.
“We’ve been playing well,” said Fremd’s two-year starter, who also put down a kill with a nice scramble for an errant ball which she got over the net late in the match. “Our confidence has gone way up and we are way more intense. That’s why we are doing so well.”
Lortz has done well using multiple targets. The Vikings (23-7) have five attackers with 75 or more kills.
“When you have those kind of numbers, you’ve got to look to your setter as doing a nice job spreading out the offense,” said Fremd coach Curt Pinley. “Marilyn has distributed the ball very well.”
Set 1 was close until junior Nicole Obos (2 kills) served for 3 points to give the hosts a 15-10 lead. Lortz served an ace for a 20-13 advantage and junior libero Nina Scott served the final 2 points of the set, including an ace to end it.
Scott, Obos and Rebecca Clarke each had 2 digs.
”We are just all coming together as a team,” Scott said. “We are working hard in practice and it is showing up in our matches.”
BG (12-14) pulled ahead 7-4 on a kill by Alyssa Mills and a block Mary Zawlocki.
The set stayed close until Fremd broke a 14-14 tie with 4 straight points from server Jessi Wiedemann. That’s when Lortz produced a kill while making a save on a ball from her knees.
Obos followed with a kill for the 18-14 lead. An ace by freshman Lane Hindenburg (5 kills) gave Fremd a 22-16 lead.
BG got to within 23-20 before Fremd ended the match on a kill by Clarke (5 kills) and a blast by Claire Brady off a quick set from Lortz.
“I thought the girls played consistently,” Pinley said. “We were never at a point where we felt we had a problem.”
The Bison are hoping to have senior setter Kathy Hampton ready to go for their own tournament Saturday.
She missed Tuesday’s match because of a concussion she suffered when hit twice by balls on her head in a match against Prospect last week.
“I can’t even be mad that I’m out because it was too funny the way it happened,” Hampton said before the match.
BG coach Marianne O’Shea went with Marie Georgoulis and Mary Guth as her quarterbacks Tuesday and each handed out 7 assists.
“I thought the girls did a nice job adjusting (without Hampton),” said the retiring O’Shea, who coached her final MSL contest and was honored prior to the match by PA announcer Ron Cregier. “Fremd served very well. They served deep and we really haven’t seen that from anyone all season. It took a little time for our defense to adjust.”
“It was little different with Kathy out,” said senior Paige Smith, one of the Bison’s top attackers. “But I thought we adjusted well to what happened.”
Smith and junior Bailey North led BG with 5 kills apiece while Alaina Murphy and Zalowcki each had 3.
Palatine d. Rolling Meadows: Taylor Fricano (7 kills), Heather Suiter (4) and Val Soderstrom (4) led the Pirates (12-12) on attack in a 25-13, 25-21 victory.
Laura Kluk handed out 17 assists and served 6 aces while Casey Dolen had 3 aces and 13 digs.
The Mustangs (19-13) were led by Jenny Vliet (4 kills), Veronica Drabowski (3), Amy Wenzel (2) and Morgan Keller (2) with Vliet and Olivia Falk handing out 4 assists apiece.
Conant d. Elk Grove: Jenn Donnell (8 kills), Morgan Peterson (7), Brittany Hoffman (4) and Allie Bauch (2) led the Cougars’ attack in a 25-14, 25-8 triumph.
Setter Taylor Levitt collected 21 assists while Rachael Yordon picked up 17 digs for the winners (13-16, 4-6).
Schaumburg d. Prospect: Kelly Koutnik (7 kills) and Bria Hailey (5) led the Saxons’ attack in a 25-17, 25-18 triumph over the Knights (10-14).
Meghan Falsey handed out 9 assists while Sam Mellert had 5. Michelle Klages led the back row for Schaumburg (18-17) with 6 digs.
Wheeling d. Hoffman Estates: Wheeling (5-25) was led on attack by Kellie Kuzmanic (8 kills), Joanna Stankowicz (4), Sydney Keith (4) and Amanda Mullin (4), who also handed 21 assists.
Becca Stoczynski led the Hawks (7-29) with 6 kills while Destinée Young added 4. Karin Zolp handed out 11 assists.
Nazareth d. St. Viator: Nazareth posted a 25-19, 25-14 triumph over the Lions (15-20), who were led on attack Lauren Falotico (10 kills), Rachel Horvath (5) and Olivia Nuelle (3).
Setter Emily Williams handed out 19 assists while Evelina Wozniak had 8 digs and Stephanie Mazanek 6.